Eustace Families Association

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Father Louis Eustace C.Ss.R.

 

Louis Eustace, son of Patrick and Brigid (McNally) Eustace was born Nov. 5, 1935 in the town of Longford, Ireland. He was the very first of many babies to be born in what was then the brand new nursing home in the town. Louis grew up in the village of Newtowncashel, County Longford, a small town located about five kilometers from Lough Ree, which is the second largest lake in the Shannon River system. His father, Patrick Eustace served as a teacher and as school principal in the village from 1912 until 1959, a total of 47 years. His mother  Bridget McNally, was the daughter of Joseph McNally who taught at Newtowncashel for many years until retirement in 1912.

Louis attended Newtowncashel Primary School and served Mass at St. Mary’s Church, Cashel Parish. In 1948 there was a Redemptorist Mission for two weeks in the parish. Louis Eustace was a 13-years old at the time. One of the Missioners, Father Hugo Kerr suggested the idea of studying for the Redemptorist Priesthood. Young Louis was greatly impressed by the Mission and this more than anything else influenced his decision to join the Redemptorist order. It was a happy decision and Louis had the whole hearted backing of his parents and family.

The next five years were spent completing secondary education in St. Clement College in Limerick City and from there he went to University College, a Redemptorist Novitiate at Esker, Athenry, Co Galway to study for the B.A. degree. In 1954, he was formally accepted into the Redemptorist Religious Order and proudly placed the initials CSSR behind his name. CSSR stands for the Latin words "Congregation Sanctissimi Redemptoris (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer).

In 1970, Father Louis was one of five Redemptorist Priests assigned to Our Lady of Hope Parish in Springfield, Massachusetts some 90 miles west of Boston. Many of the parishioners at Our Lady of Hope were Irish or of Irish extraction, and indeed over a thousand people in the parish were from West Kerry (Dingle and points West, Blaskets, etc.). Many still spoke Kerry Irish as their normal language, among themselves. In Springfield, Father Louis often conducted wakes and funerals in the Gaelic language. He writes, "They were great people: (a) extremely generous and (b) incorrigibly conservative! If something was not the practice "back in Kerry", then they wanted no part of it...! But I loved it there."

Returning to Ireland in 1976, Father Louis was assigned to Mount St. Alphonsus in Limerick where he remained until 1994. He describes this period as "marvelous years". He found great satisfaction in conducting huge Solemn Novenas in major towns and cities around Ireland. However in 1994, the Irish Redemptorists, in a Solemn Conclave in Dublin, decided that the Order was "getting away from the traditional Parish Mission" and there was a change of policy. Father Louis was transferred to Dundalk, County Louth, just north of Dublin.

During the mid-1990’s, Father Louis began experiencing erratic heart beats and his condition was diagnosed as fibrillating (irregular) heart. On doctor’s orders, Father Louis began to concentrate on work in St Joseph’s Parish in Dundalk, where at the age of 71, he enjoys the slower pace and remains busy and happy. The life of Father Louis Eustace has been blessed by God in all kinds of wondrous ways.

Father Louis Eustace, C.Ss.R

Father Louis Eustace studied at University College, Galway, from 1954 and graduated with an Honours Degree in Classical Languages (Latin & Greek) in 1962. He then entered the Redemptorist Major Seminary at Cluain Mhuire, Galway City, and was ordained along with 16 other priests on January 2, 1962, by Bishop Browne. His first assignment was during 1962/63, in Cebu City, Philippines where he studied Pastoral Theology. He remained in the Philippines where he did missionary work in Iligan City, in the Province of Mindanao (1963-64) and served as Teacher and Director in St. Clements College, Iloilo City until 1970.